Tenkomori: The Homecoming Club Conquers Another World

Before departure, remove the innards of the Gowsus cow and pack the ice created by [Ice Blow] into a highly waterproof skin bag for storage together.

The magic bag, Terpaz Bag, doesn’t stop time, but it wasn’t affected by the outside temperature.

The temperature drops as much as you chill it. If you change the ice regularly, it should last reasonably well.

If it fails, apologize to the Gowsus cow.

Throw away the branches and leaves laid in the shelter from the slope and dismantle the base.

While checking for any other landslides, we descended Laneldo Mountain.

Fortunately, no landslides were found, and we proceeded into the Filthatch Forest.

It was interesting because it was my first time, but it seemed no different from being close to Selene.

However, compared to Selene, the forest seems shallow, and the gaps between trees widen quickly, making the forest intermittent.

And before I knew it, it turned into a grassland with scattered trees.

Taking a deep breath in the spacious area after a long time, I sensed several presences coming from the end of the road.

Approaching—Not monsters, huh?

Adventurers?

Soon, four men appeared.

They seemed not to have noticed us and reached for their swords on their waists in a hurry.

But as they realized I was just a boy, they stopped moving.

“Adventurers?”

My guess was thrown back at me.

Unfortunately, it was off the mark, though.

The men were wearing unified equipment.

They must be soldiers of the Filthatch Marquis.

To avoid arousing suspicion, I quietly took out my adventurer’s badge hanging around my neck.

“I’m Tenko. A D-rank adventurer.”

“Indeed, adventurers. What are you doing in a place like this? You have an unfamiliar face… Have you crossed the mountains?”

The man averted his gaze and turned to my rear.

“It’s fine to answer, but first, could you introduce yourselves?”

“We are the Keril Defense Corps.”

They answered briefly and urged me on.

There seems to be no village nearby.

It’s diligent to patrol so far.

And though they’re not magic tools, all four of them are equipped with quite formidable weapons and armor.

Even if they’re just foot soldiers, they’re indeed the guards of the marquis’s family.

I took out the request token from my pocket and handed it to the leading man.

It was issued formally by the adventurer’s guild after being proposed by Samini.

The request token contains information about the client, the content, and the issuing branch, so everything is clear at a glance.

The man frowned as he read it and compared it with me several times.

“I can’t believe it. The client is the Commercial Guild. How old are you? And why would the Council entrust a D-rank solo adventurer with te highway restoration—!?”

At the sudden appearance of a stone wall, the men instantly tensed up.

It’s troublesome to have a back-and-forth.

At times like this, showing your strength is the quickest way. I learned that when I was eight.

I stood before the stone wall and showed that I meant no harm.

“Sorry for surprising you. I’ve mastered [Earth Wall]. It’s quicker than explaining it verbally.”

The men seemed stunned but quickly apologized once they came to their senses.

And without reproaching me for the rudeness, they returned the request token.

“Could you wait for a moment?”

With that, the man sent two of them running towards the mountain.

It seems like they went to confirm something—It’s almost dusk.

I hope we don’t have to camp in the wilderness again today.

“Is Keril Village close by? I’ve been camping in the mountains for four days. I want to take a good rest.”

“The village isn’t that far. We’ll be back before sunset. But four days… Was there a severe landslide? Were you able to repair it?”

“Probably.”

I evaded the question casually and sat down at the base of a nearby tree.

I don’t know any other magic users seriously, and Elfimia isn’t much help.

Was it okay with her?

I rested silently for a while, but since he still seemed interested, I roughly explained the situation of the landslide and the restoration work.

Seemingly half-convinced, he nodded, so I threw a question back at him.

“By the way, why did you inquire about our purpose? It’s not unusual for adventurers to wander outside.”

Unless they’re engaged in criminal activities, defense forces don’t get involved with adventurers.

Their reaction was odd from the start.

“Could it be—”

He muttered, and his face twisted in annoyance.

“Since the road became impassable, many travelers have been stranded in Keril Village. Because of that, there have been frequent brawls and violent incidents involving adventurers. Well, that alone would be manageable. The problem is that bored individuals have started killing troublesome monsters.”

“I see. What kind of monsters?”

“A creature called Soprick, a magical squirrel. They’re rarely seen around here. They must have migrated here due to the long rain.”

A squirrel?

I’ve seen one of those, during the restoration work.

“If it’s a squirrel, I saw one in the mountains. It looked ordinary, though—”

As soon as I said that, the men tightened their expressions.

It seems the appearance matched that of a squirrel.

“When was that?”

“Two or three days ago. I didn’t pay much attention, so I don’t remember clearly.”

“That was lucky. It was before they took action. If it had been yesterday, you wouldn’t be here.”

At the man’s assertion, I tensed up.

That’s how dangerous those creatures are.

The squirrel I saw looked too ordinary, so much so that I didn’t even use [Appraisal] on it.

Seeing my reaction, the man continued.

“Sopricks have venomous fangs. That alone makes them terrifying, but what’s most noteworthy is their strong feelings for their companions. If a member of their group is harmed, they become furious, and if one of them is killed, the entire group becomes ferocious, attacking any race that has caused harm indiscriminately.”

“I see. So, are the two who went to see alright?”

The man was taken aback by my reminder.

He seemed too surprised by the road’s restoration and had forgotten about it.

He stood up in a hurry to follow them, then immediately stopped in his tracks.

The two who had headed towards the mountain were just returning.

They weren’t injured, and their steps were firm.

More importantly, they were beaming.

“Are you alright!?”

The man called out, but the two interrupted him excitedly.

“The road is really clear! Smooth as silk!”

“Smooth… huh?”

Ignoring the dumbfounded man, the two reached out for a handshake from me.

And with their testimony, it was confirmed that the request token was genuine and the task had been completed.

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